Process of treating tobacco



Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE signor to Chemical Elkton, Ky.

Extraction Corporation,

No Drawing. Application August 7, 1934, Serial No. 738,828

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved process of treating denicotinized tobacco and extracting therefrom chemical values which are by the old method retained in the tobacco. This retention is due to the vegetable albumen which, due to its gelatinous nature, interferes with the extraction.

By my improved process the resistance of such vegetable albumen is overcome by making it insoluble and then floating ofi not only the released chemicals but also any oils used in the process of denicotinizing which have remained in the tobacco.

The tobacco is reduced to a granular or flaky form and placed in any suitable receptacle, preferably a centrifugal machine, and then subjected to a treatment for extracting the nicotine. This is usually done with hydro-carbon oils. This step is old and forms no part of the present invention.

The invention is directed to a succeeding treatment which makes the vegetable albumen in the tobacco insoluble in water and releases the chemical values in the tobacco. Among these values are citric acid, malic acid, potash, ammonia, phosphates and nitrogenous matter. The economical recovery of these values has been heretofore impossible by reason of the presence of vegetable gelatinous albumen that forms a jelly with water that makes any former mechanical or chemical effort useless.

In my invention I destroy and disorganize the jelly-forming nature of this albuminous matter after denicotinizing, by introducing live steam into the machine or centrifuge allowing it to dis seminate thoroughly through the tobacco entirely. This effects the desired condition as the dry steam gradually condenses with boiling water throughout the tobacco either by adding boiling water or utilizing only the condensate.

The albuminous matter becomes insoluble under the initial entrance of the steam and does not dissolve in the condensation subsequent to the application of steam but remains lodged and locked with the fibre of the tobacco, allowing the water to dissolve out such chemical values as 5 ammonium, potassium, sodium and calcium a1- The resistance of the vegetable albumen is overcome by boiling water alone or boiling water and condensate and the material does not mat together because the denicotinize-d tobacco is constantly agitated. As stated above a centrifuge is used which constantly agitates the tobacco and allows the boiling water to act on all the tobacco due to the constant agitation and consequent absence of matting. This agitation of the mass of tobacco with the admission of steam and hot water through a central hollow shaft is very efieotive in the process of releasing the salts from the tobacco that has already been denicotinized.

These values are thus removed from the tobacco free from any gelatinous taint or any other obstructive or undesirable nature. The water is free of colloidal or other similar particles that woulld obstruct the simple removal of all these values when floated off with the water or centrifugally removed from the apparatus. This removal is done by well-known chemical procedure which is not repeated here and will be apparent to any one skilled in the art.

I claim:

. 2 1. A process of treating denicotimzed tobacco u for removing the organic salts therefrom which comprises subjecting the tobacco to live steam with a temperature high enough to make the vegetable albumen in the tobacco insoluble in 2. A process of treating denicotinized tobacco for removing the organic salts therefrom which consists in subjecting a mass of tobacco to live steam with a temperature high enough to make the vegetable albumen in the tobacco insoluble in water and continuing the admission of steam until the resultant waters of condensation immerses the whole mass the steam and boiling water treatment being applied while the tobacco is being agitated.

EMERSON FLETCHER LYFORD. 

